Phonograph



A. v. BODINE -May 27, 1930.

PHbNoeRAPH Original Filed May 1, 1926 INVENTOR. AJCBadzLne BYKm i ATTO NEY Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES ALFRED V. BODJ INE, OF FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR 'IQ DICTAPI-IONE CORPO- RATION, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PHONOGRAPH Original application filed May 1, 1926, Serial No. 105,989. 1 Divided and this application filed May 21, 1927,

Serial No. 193,256. Renewed October 1, 1928.

This invention relates to a signalling device for use on phonographs.

This application is a division of my copending application, S. N. 105,989, filed May 1st, 1926. a As in the usual commercial phonographs, that is to say machines for recording and reproducing dictation and other sounds, the dietation machine is provided with an alarm bell 1o which is sounded when the sound-box carriage reaches a point near the end of the record. In machines of the dictating type, the ringing of the bell indicates to the person dictating that he has almost covered the rec- 25 rd cylinder with dictation and that he must put a fresh cylinder on the machine; in the transcribing machine, the alarm indicates to the typist that she has almost reached the end of the dictated cylinder.

Heretofore, such signals have been mounted on the outside of the machine; and, when so disposed, they are unsightly and tend to accumulate dust and shavings from the Wax records, etc.

i 555 An object of this invention is to provide a simple, novel and efficient' means for sounding a signalto Warn the operator that the recording and reproducing mechanism is nearing the end of the record, in which means 30 substantially all of the parts are mounted within the casing of the machine, and hence are concealed and protected.

, According to the present invention, the signal is in the formof a bellwhich, instead ofbeing stationary to be struck by a movable striker, is itself movably mounted in such a manner that during the travel of the soundboX carriagethe bell is moved and then re leased to engage the striker which in such case may be fixed on the frame of the machine. Bypreference, the bell is attached to a stud supported by a spring so that a part of the sounchbox carriageengages the stud, depresses thelatter, and then releases the stud to allow the bell to bemoved under the influence of the spring against the fixed striker. V

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dictation machine With parts removed and showing the signalling device in position just previous to. functloning, the encloslng broken away to show the bell.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view showing the bell and the improved supporting member therefor.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the bell and associated parts in their normal positions.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation with thebell in operating position just previous to the sounding of an alarm.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing the bell and the trip-lever after the trip-off action.

The front elevation, Figure 1, shows part of the dictation machine disclosed in my copending application, S. N. 105,989, filed May 1, 1926, of which this is a division, namely a pulley l3, actuated by a driving belt 117, which causes the rotation of a record 83. A feed-screw 98 mounted between standards 21 and 22 of a top plate is also driven from the pulley 13', coordinately with the rotation casing being of the record. Longitudinal movement of a the sound-recording and reproducing mechanism enclosed in a carriage 25 is effected by the feed-screw 98, the carriage 25 sliding for this purpose on guiderods 23 and 24 mounted between the standards 21 and 22.

According to the present invention, in order to WVfilIl the operator when the end of the record is being approached by the recording or reproducing mechanism, the phonograph is provided with an alarm comprising a bell. 107 fully enclosed by the top plate 20 and casing 44. Heretofore, the bell has been mounted in an exposed manner on the outside of the machine and usually comprises a complicated clapper trip-01f arrangement. These disadvantages have been eliminated in the present invention by mounting the bell 107 on the lower end of a sliding stud 108 which extends upwardly through the top plate 20.

Normally the bell 107 is held in elevated position by means of a spring 109 secured to the top plate 20 by a screw 118, and the spring 109 has a forked-end 110 engaging a reduced portion 111 of the stud 108.

Mounted on the carriage-frame 25is a trip arm 112 adapted to engage and depress the l s E1 1 stud 108 as the carriage approaches the end of its movement. This bell mechanism construction is advantageous for it comprises very few parts, and to attach the same it is merely necessary to insert the stud 108 in the hole provided for it in the top-plate 20 and cause the forked-spring 109' to engage the reduced portion 111.

Preparatory to allowing the bell 107 to move upwardly under the influence of a spring so as to ring, the present invention provides means for depressing the bell and its spring 108 with no great side strain upon the carriage 25. For this purpose, the triparm 112 is pivoted on a stud 114 on the carriage frame 25 and has a projection 115 adapted to ride over and press down on the top of the pin 108 when a depending portion 116 of the arm 112 engages the left-side of the pin 108 as would occur with the further travel of the carriage 25 from the position shown in Fig. 1.

As the carriage 25 continues to advance, the arm 112 depresses the pin 108, by the toggle-like action, as shown in Fig. 4, until the pivot 114 of the trip-arm 112 moves to,

the right of the perpendicular plane in which the contacting part of the trip-arm 112 lies, whereupon the toggle is automatically broken and the arm 108 quickly moves to the position shown in Fig. 5, allowing the bell 107 to snap up and strike the pin 113 and give the alarm.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is

1. A record-end alarm for a phonograph carriage comprising av concealed movable bell; a fixed striker; and means controlled by the carriage for causing the bell to engage the fixed striker to produce an alarm.

2. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a bell; a spring support for the bell; a stationary striker; and means for moving the bell against the tension of said spring and then releasing the bell to cause the bell to engage the stationary striker due to the resiliency of said spring.

3. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprisin a bell; a stud on which the bell is mounted a striker; means for moving the bell; and a forked-spring for engaging said stud to hold said bell in normal position and to cause the bell to move and engage said striker when the bell is moved. by said means and is subsequently released.

4. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a casing; av bell; a fixed striker; a stud on which the bell is mounted; means for moving the bell and stud; and a forkedspring for engaging. said stud to hold said stud and bell in normal position, said bell and spring being concealed within the casing.

5. In a phonograph, in combination, a frame; a carriage; an alarm producing device; a plunger mounted in the frame and adapted when operated to cause said alarm producing device to function; and a cam 'mounted on the carriage and adapted to move the plunger during a portion of its engagement therewith and to release the plunger automatically after the cam has moved to a certain position with relation to the plunger.

6. In a phonograph, in combination, a frame; a striker; a plunger with a bell fixed theretomounted on the frame and adapted to engage the striker and produce an alarm when operated; a carriage; a pivoted lever mounted on said carriage and adapted to engage said plunger, said lever having means whereby it rotates and depresses the plunger until the pivot point of the lever reaches a given position, whereupon the lever is automatically released from the plunger to permit the plunger and related bell to rapidly rise to engage the striker and produce an alarm.

7. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a movable bell; a fixed striker; operating means for the bell; and a self-releasing trip lever adapted to engage and actuate operating means for the bell.

8. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a movably mounted bell; a spring for said bell; a fixed striker; and means for moving the bell against the tension of the spring, and subsequently releasing said bell whereupon it engages the striker to produce an alarm.

9. In a phonograph, the combination of a. frame; a traveling carriage thereon; a fixed striker; a bell movably mounted to be brought into engagement with the striker; a spring for the bell and means adapted to move the bell against the tension of the spring and subsequently release it, to cause it to engage the striker when the end of the record is approached.

10. In a phonograph, the combination of a frame; a traveling carriage thereon; a fixed striker-on the frame; a bell movably mounted on the frame to be brought into engagement with the striker; a trip device mounted on the carriage and adapted to move and subsequently release the bell when the end of the record is approached; and means to cause the bell to engage the striker after it is released.

11. In a phonograph, the combination of a frame; a bell; a stud on which the bell is secured; guiding means in the frame in which the stud slides; a spring for the bell; a striker fixed on the frame in the path of the movement of the bell; and means for sliding the stud in the frame to tension the spring and subsequently release thestud to cause the bell to be brought into engagement With the striker by said spring.

12. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a carriage; a bell movable longitudinally of its axis; a spring for the bell; a striker; and means operated by the carriage to move the bell against the tension of the spring and subsequently release the bell, whereupon it engages the striker and produces an alarm.

13. In a record-end alarm for phonographs, the combination of a frame; a mov able carriage having two directions of travel;

an alarm producing device on the frame comprising a movable bell and a fixed striker; and a cam on the carriage adapted to operate the alarm producing device in only one direction of carriage travel.

14. A record-end alarm for a phonograph carnage, comprising a movable bell; a fixed striker; and means controlled by the carriage for causing the bell to engage the fixed striker to produce analarm.

15. A record-end alarm for phonographs comprising a casing; a bell; a fixed striker;

a stud on Which the bell is mounted; means for moving the bell and stud; and a forked spring for engaging said stud to hold said stud and bell in normal position.

16. The combination in a phonograph of an alarm comprising a movable bell; a striker and means for moving said bell and causing said bell to engage the striker to produce an alarm. i

17. The combinationin a phonograph of an alarm comprising a movable bell; a striker; a carriage; and means operatively associated with said carriage for moving the bell and causing the bell to engage the striker to produce an alarm.

18. In a phonograph; the combination of a frame and a travelling carriage thereon, a striker member, and a bell member mounted on the frame, a stud longitudinally movable in the frame and supporting one of said members, a trip device mounted on the carriage and adapted to move and subsequently release said stud When the carriage has moved to a selected position, and means for causing said stud supported member to'engage said other member When released. 1

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of .Fairfield and State of Connecticut, this 20th day of May, 1927.

ALFRED V. BODINE. 

